French President François Hollande met with Pope Francis on Wednesday to discuss the death of elderly French priest Jacques Hamel at the hands of Islamist militants.
Hollande was accompanied by his Interior Minister Bernard Cazenueuve, according to France 24. They flew to Rome three weeks after the priest's throat was slit in front of worshippers.
Even though there is a pressing issue concerning the possible ban of burkinis by those living by the French seaside, Hollande says the row is "not for today."
A burkini is a combination of "bikini" and "burqa" designed to cater to strict modesty dress codes among Muslim women. It's a full-body swimsuits that cover all parts of the body except for the feet, hands and face, according to International Business Times.
What Hollande wanted to talk about was the recent terror attacks. "I want to discuss religious freedom, secularism and unity with respect for everyone," Hollande said.
Hollande, who previously bumped heads with the Vatican over gay rights concerns, said France's secularism message hopes to unite people, not to "wound," so "the Republic must defend the right to believe and also to not believe."
"When a religious figure is assassinated, the Republic is also profaned," he said, talking about the death of Hamel, which was perpetrated by two teenagers — Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik Petitjean — who claimed allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS).
Even though there are disagreements between him and Pope Francis, Hollande expressed appreciation for the support given by the pope. "The pope's words were very comforting," Hollande said. "He confided in me that he felt like a brother at the side of the French people."
Prior to their flight to Rome, Pope Francis and Hollande spoke on the phone for hours about Hamel's tragic loss. The following day, Pope Francis spoke about the tragedy, saying, "This holy priest who died in the moment of offering prayers for the church is one (victim). But how many Christians, innocents, children?"
Before Hamel's murder, another jihadist drove a truck into a crowd including women and children who were celebrating Bastille Day in the French coastal resort of Nice. The attack claimed the lives of 85 individuals and wounded 400 others.
